7th September 1949

Lee Wilson, Gerald Durrell’s wife and co-author, is born

Lee McGeorge Wilson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but moved to Jersey after marrying the naturalist, Gerald Durrell, in 1979. She played an active role in the management of Jersey Zoo and, following Gerald’s death, in the renaming of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust in his honour.

She accompanied him on three expeditions and helped co-author some of his books, including A Practical Guide for the Amateur Naturalist, and Durrell in Russia. She edited The Best of Gerald Durrell and was a consultant on the ITV series, The Durrells.